2015’s most timeless pieces of social media marketing advice

It’s nearly the end of 2015 and we’re all reflecting on our marketing efforts and all things social media. It will be 2016 before we know it, and in order to put our best social media marketing efforts forward, it’s time to consider the best pieces of advice we’ve come across this year so you can take it with you into the new year.

Post consistently

1This bit of advice is given frequently and is one of many traits of successful social media marketers. Posting on a regular basis is still one of the best ways to guarantee some form of engagement. It keeps things going between campaigns and it ensures that your brand in on people’s minds. Whatever you do, don’t come up missing.

Post innovative content

2This becomes more and more urgent with each passing year. The Internet and social media are growing saturated with content, which means it is incredibly difficult to get noticed today without using your content on a regular basis. Spice up your newsfeed with your own infographics, links to your posts, and more visually appealing items.

It isn’t always easy to know how to write for social media, and now and then it’s OK to post articles that aren’t brand new and unique to you. Don’t get in the habit of doing it too frequently. You do nothing but add to the noise and you will find people will start to switch off when it comes to your business.

Don’t stray away from what you are good at doing

3It really is best to stick to one platform and get really good at it before delving into another just so you can say you are there, too. Countless businesses have dead social media accounts because they join, then realize they don’t have the ability or interest they thought they might have when they initially signed up. Make sure you are really good at something before you venture out and try to gain momentum elsewhere.

Bump up your videos

4The year 2015 has become the year of more video. Every big brand is crushing it with video on Facebook because it works well with people who are surfing newsfeeds. Video is effective because it’s instant, and it can be humorous, serious, scary, sincere or all of these in just a few seconds. You can’t dig that deep in a text tweet or a blog post. If you’re looking for ways to grow your presence on social media (what business isn’t?), you need to post videos and keep your audience engaged.

Use graphics and images that are yours

5This is a biggie. People are over stock images. They are becoming meaningless as social media images and they just don’t make a splash like they used to, largely because they also aren’t always relevant.

Make your own images; grab your camera and take photographs or have a freelancer to it. This helps your brand make some serious impact on social media.

Update your bio

6You will have a bio on really any social media platform where you have a presence. If you don’t have a personal bio, you will have a company profile. Either way, they need to be up to date, clear and concise. People will see your bio or profile and form an instant opinion about your company, so strive to make that impression a good one.

Keep your tweets on point

7Simple tweets are the most like to be engaged with, so don’t ramble on Twitter. Like many things online, people value simplicity. Imagine you’re speaking with a 7-year-old when you tweet and you’ll likely see that hundreds more (non-7-year-olds) will listen. If you think about it, do you want to reaad a complex tweet on your phone? Probably not, and neither will your readers.

Successful companies all around the world are following this advice because it works and it makes sense. Break away from the social media noise and help your brand make a big impact in 2016.

What social media advice do you have to share as we near the new year?

Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the Web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources and business news. Megan has several years of experience on the topics of small business marketing, copywriting, SEO, online conversions and social media. Reach her at [email protected].